They call it walkabout and trainabout! It is all about walking the ground to cover as much terrain as possible before the next general elections, which is due in March 2021.
In the morning of Saturday 23rd November 2019, about forty members of the newly minted Progress Singapore Party visited residents in Bukit Merah in a bid to win the hearts and minds of Singaporeans. The party which was formed early this year has quickly grown its memberships to a sizeable number in the last four months since its launch in August this year.
“The ground response was very encouraging. Many people at the hawker centre recognised Doc and said they would support him and his team. Some willingly came forward and asked us for our pamphlets. Yet others recognised Doc as the former MP for Ayer Rajah and said that they trusted him to speak up for them,” said Ravi Philemon, 51, PSP Member.
PSP may be new but it is refreshing to the voters of Singapore because they are a party that cares for the welfare and well-being of Singaporeans.
In a recent Facebook post, PSP outlined its four main values of Accountability, Independence, Transparency and Compassion. PSP aims to build a compassionate society – one, that is based on values, said a member during the walkabout this morning.
PSP covered all four corners of Singapore in their 29 on 29 walkabout. This time, they were out to hear from Singaporeans, with many residents coming forward to voice openly their concerns about CPF and fewer employment opportunities for locals.
Mr Anthony, a resident of Bukit Merah said that he was concerned that CPF funds were held back and the high cost of living was a grave concern.
At PSP, they speak about party-values and the sea change in politics that they are going to bring about. Our heartware is our biggest attraction, said another member at the walkabout.
Back row: Alfred and Joseph Sin, PSP Members during walkabout on the 23rd of Nov 2019. TISG File Photo
“As the saying goes, you can’t FB a handshake. Connecting with the ground is a must. We need to meet as many people, shake their hands and tell them that we need their support,” said another party member.
There were many anecdotal stories of how residents are affected by the current policies.
One security guard, Mr. Burney Ng, 51, spoke about how he lost his job as a PMET a decade ago and has not been able to get back on track with his career. He is forced to hold down his current job as a security guard even though it does not pay well. He also said that the working hours are long and it has taken a toll on his health.
“As we gear up for the upcoming General Elections walking the ground like today to meet and talk to members of the public like Burney give us the opportunity to build the trust that the PSP will always put the interests of the country and the people first in all that we do.
We should not easily surrender our basic managerial jobs to foreigners without very good reasons. We have displaced countless good Singaporean’s like Burney from their jobs who then had to struggle to find a job that paid him half what he was getting. It’s just not right. This type of displacement is too common, it’s unnecessary and must be addressed comprehensively.
PSP will fight for a more just and equitable society that will not allow good people like Burney to be left behind.” said Mr Khush Chopra.